Iran may not love America politically, but Iranians love American food — especially fast food.
With no formal diplomatic relations between the two countries, though, it’s rather hard to find a McDonald’s or a Pizza Hut. But if you wander through the streets of Tehran, you might find a Pizza Hat or a Mash Donald’s.
The rise of the “fake franchise” caught the attention of Iranian-American Holly Dagres, a Middle East analyst and commentator, who travels to Tehran often from her home in Cairo. She published a photo essay on BuzzFeed in October highlighting some of these eateries.
Dagres tells NPR’s Scott Simon she has counted nine so far that look familiar: Baskin-Robbins, Chipotle, Domino’s Pizza, KFC, Mash Donald’s, Pizza Hat, Raees Coffee, Subway and Super Star.